Essay Writing Guide - The Essay Sample

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Theory of Change

Introduction Theories of change have broadened since 1970s to include family and society as integral components of psychotherapy. Like other therapists, I have realized that therapies should be responsive to the needs of individuals, families, and communities for clients to change according to their social and physical environments.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Theory of Change specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Research has proved that therapies are effective if they are applicable at family levels since social and physical environments are significant determinants of the outcomes of a given therapy (Fuller, 2004). Hence, I suppose that by targeting families as social environments that catalyze changes is a critical step towards effecting changes among family members. According to Fuller 2004, â€Å"when family members are desperate, they change, but when they are not desperate, they stay the same† (p.17 8). Since clients are family members who are desperate, they are in dire need of change, which lies deep within theories of change. Therefore, in this view, I am interested in applying theories of change in families to address problems and issues that family members are struggling to resolve. The theory of change comprises a series of interventions that help clients to recover in a gradual process. Anderson (2005) states, â€Å"Theory of change is the product of a series of critical thinking exercises that provide a comprehensive picture of the early and intermediate-term† (p.12). A comprehensive theory of change outlines the assumptions of the change process and describes the steps through which change occurs. As a therapist, I tend to apply change theories such as the solution-focused family therapy, narrative therapy, and structural family therapy in resolving problems within families because they are effective in causing required change.Advertising Looking for essay on psychology? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Additionally, since these theories have common assumptions and functions, I have developed an interest of implementing them during therapy because they provide necessary tools and skills, which are of great importance in family therapy. Therefore, this essay focuses on the theory of change by examining goals, assessment strategies, assumptions, principles, and views of therapists. Goals of Therapy The central goal of therapy inside a therapy room is to empower clients to be strong and overcome trauma. Clients usually seek therapy when problems that they face in life become too heavy for them to endure alone. Hence, the major objective of therapy is to relieve the clients’ emotional and psychological burdens using appropriate psychological interventions. The goal of the solution-focused therapy is to enable clients to resolve problems using their own strengths. Greenberg, Ganshor n, and Danilkewich (2001) posit, â€Å"Solution-focused therapy recognizes that even in the bleakest of circumstances an emphasis on individual strength is empowering† (p.2289). Despite the fact that an individual may be too weak to endure and resolve a given problem in life, solution-focused family therapy maintains that, an individual has residual energy to overcome problems in life. By use of coping questions in the therapy room, clients can recognize their strengths and use them effectively. Therefore, as aforementioned, the cardinal goal of therapy is to revive the inherent latent strength within an individual and encourage one to overcome the problems that he or she is facing. Another goal of the solution-focused therapy is to enable clients to focus their on solutions when resolving issues that affect their lives. Clients have inherent solutions, but the problem is that they cannot focus on the solutions to resolve their problems effectively.Advertising We will wr ite a custom essay sample on Theory of Change specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Given that solutions to a given problem or an issue are many and diverse, lack of focus on the part of clients complicates the process of resolution. Therefore, the goal of the solution-focused therapy is to enable clients to focus their perceived solutions towards resolutions of the problems. The major work of a therapist in solution-focused therapy is to guide clients into focusing solutions towards resolution of their problems, because they cannot resolve them on their own. According to Greenberg, Ganshorn, and Danilkewich (2001), clients understand their lives for the only thing that they require from therapists is guidance on how to resolve problems that affect them. In this case, the exception questions encourage clients to utilize their strengths, thus amplifying the probable solutions. Hence, the goal of therapy is to support clients in implementing interventions that they perceive as effective solutions to their problems. Moreover, the goal of therapy inside a therapy room is to make clients to forget about their past and dwell on the present and future. By focusing on the present and future, clients can develop strength and overcome negative feelings that weigh them down. The reason why many people are unable to resolve issues affecting their lives is that they utilize a great deal of their energies in focusing about the past, which cannot change. In this light, solution-focused therapy enables clients to focus on the present and future, thus promoting resolution of problems. Greenberg, Ganshorn, and Danilkewich (2001) assert that the use of accolades in solution-focused therapy has multiple effects of encouraging patients, setting expectations, fostering confidence, maintaining rapport, and facilitates building of relationships. The utilization of accolades forms the foundation of therapy in a therapy room, since they creat e rapport, which is critical in initiating a solution talk. The goal of therapy is to examine the impacts of problems on people rather than examining problems as an integral part of people. In essence, the process of examining problems as different entities that affect people amounts to externalization.Advertising Looking for essay on psychology? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Externalization reduces stigmatization and victimization of clients according to the nature of a problem that they are struggling to overcome. Stigmatization and victimization of clients slows down the process of recovery. Shapiro and Ross (2002) posit, â€Å"A narrative approach advocates for externalizing the patient’s problem by locating it outside the individual and within the culture† (p. 97). In the narrative therapy, the goal of a therapist is to externalize problems that clients face. Successful externalization of problems allows patients to perceive their problems as external entities, which do not form a permanent part of their lives. Externalization is applicable outside the therapy room because it enhances the ability of clients to cope with the stigma associated with their problems. Such perception relieves stress from clients and reduces responsibility of therapists in the process of delivering therapy. Since families exist as systems within the society, the goal of therapy outside the therapy room is to enhance functionalities of families. Families that function well have the capacity to solve problems that affect family members, while dysfunctional families are ineffective in addressing such problems. Structural family therapy holds that problems in families occur due to dysfunctional nature of the systems in a family setting. Nichols and Schwartz (2004) assert, â€Å"The goal of structural family therapy is to facilitate the growth of the system to resolve symptoms and encourage growth in individuals, while also preserving the mutual support of the family† (p.187). Therefore, therapists must ensure that families of the clients are functioning well for any therapy to be effective in resolution of the prevailing problems. Assessment Strategies and Process of Therapy After taking clients through the process of therapy, therapists expect them to show some significant changes. As the objective of solution-focused family therapy is to enable clients to acquire strengths essential in resolution of problems, the capacity of clients to resolve problems on their own provides an effective assessment parameter. In the application of solution-focused therapy, therapists can assess the progress of their clients as the therapy enhances optimism on the part of patients. According to Greenberg, Ganshorn, and Danilkewich (2001), solution focused therapy provides for the assessment of behavior changes with time in response to therapy. Hence, assessment of client’s behavior in terms of the ability to solve problems on his or her own is imperative in assessment of behavior change. As the objective of the solution-focused therapy is to assist clients to forget about their past and dwell on the present and future, assessment of their perception of problems enables therapists to monitor the course of therapy. The progress of clients in therapy falls in the continuum that ranges from those who have negative thoughts t o those who harbor positive thoughts. Solution-focused therapy employs scaling questions in assessing the nature of thoughts that clients harbor. Greenberg, Ganshorn, and Danilkewich (2001) posit, â€Å"Scaling questions measure problem severity, progress toward a goal, confidence, and commitment to a goal† (p.2292). Hence, scaling questions provide means of assessing the progress of patients during therapy. The goal of narrative theory is to externalize problems that affect clients. Since the extent of externalization determines how clients perceive problems that affect them, assessment of clients’ perception is critical. The way patients perceive their problems in terms of â€Å"good† or â€Å"bad† underscores externalization (Shapiro Ross, 2002). Clients who still perceive their problems as an integral part of their lives can see themselves as hopeless. In contrast, clients who have managed to externalize their problems would perceive life with an opt imistic attitude. Therefore, assessment of the elements associated with externalization of the problems under consideration gives an accurate way of ascertaining the impact of therapy on clients. According to structural family therapy, family problems are inherent in structural organization and functions of a given family. Since the family is a system with structural organization, which shows a form of power distribution, functionality of the family is critical in showing the impact of therapy. The assessment of the impact of structural family therapy focuses on both organization and functionality aspects of a certain family. Nichols and Schwartz (2004) argue, â€Å"A structural assessment is based on the assumption that a family’s difficulties often reflect problems in the way the family is organized† (p.189). Poor organization of the family complicates resolution of problems, while good organization eases resolution of problems. In the aspect of functionality, famili es that function well can easily address their problems when compared to dysfunctional families. Assumptions about Family and Change One assumption of solution-focused therapy is that change is constant. In the family set up, often changes occur in response to challenges. Greenberg, Ganshorn, and Danilkewich (2001) posit, â€Å"Change is constant, inevitable, and contagious† (p.2290). Since change is constant, solution building is a dynamic process that therapists should understand when they are providing therapy to clients. When clients face problems, they respond by seeking change. The response of change is critical for change is constant in families. The relationships that exist in families play a central role in facilitating change because they are dynamic and subject to changes in the family level. Another assumption of therapy is that clients have inherent abilities to overcome the problems that they encounter in life. Given that problems that require therapeutic interv entions to address are very complicated for clients to resolve without any assistance, therapy is helpful for it amplifies the inherent abilities of clients to deal with the problem. Greenberg, Ganshorn, and Danilkewich (2001) explain that the role of therapists is to amplify expertise that clients have in addressing issues affecting them. Although clients have expertise in resolving of their problems, they need motivation so that they can gain the courage to address complex problems. The assumption of solution-focused therapy is that family members have strengths to overcome problems that seem complex in their lives. In this assumption, the role of therapists is to enhance strengths of clients so that they can solve problems on their own. Greenberg, Ganshorn, and Danilkewich (2001) reveal, â€Å"Patients have strengths, resources, and coping skills that drive change while generating optimism and hope† (p. 2290). Resources and strengths that clients have are enough to overcom e problems and challenges that affect them. Hence, for therapists to deliver their therapies effectively and bring change, they must utilize resources and strengths that are inherent in clients. At the family level, therapy assumes that problems that families face originate from structural organization and functionality of family. According to Nichols and Schwartz (2004), the assumption of structural family therapy is that the nature of problems that family members face is dependent on the structural organization and functionality of a given family. Well-organized families promote good interaction among members, thus reducing incidents of disagreements and conflicts associated with complex relationships that exist in different families. Additionally, families that function properly have reduced problems because family members work in a concerted manner. Therefore, for therapists to optimize the impact of their therapies, they must ensure that families have proper organization while functioning in an effective manner. Since families and individuals exist in society with diverse cultural and social factors, they tend to adopt these factors to suit their needs. In this view, narrative therapy assumes that social and cultural aspects that surround clients in society have a significant role in causing change. Shapiro and Ross (2002) argue, â€Å"The basis of narrative therapy is a social constructionism or the idea that the way people experience themselves and their situation is constructed through culturally mediated social interactions† (p.96). As people attach meanings to different concepts in society, the narrative therapy utilizes these meanings in eliciting certain changes of behavior in therapy. Therefore, therapists should utilize narratives that have social and cultural elements for clients to decipher symbols used and attach meanings, thus bringing about change during therapy. Major Interventions The intervention of using the miracle question is ef fective is family therapy because it enables clients to examine their situations from different perspectives, thus enhancing the perception of their problems. As clients normally analyze their problems from a single perspective, they find it difficult and impossible to resolve problems in their lives. In this view, miracle questions aim at expanding perspective and enhancing understanding of problems, thus enabling clients to resolve their problems. Application of miracle questions in therapy is an effective way of probing clients to initiate resolution of problems that they face in their families. Greenberg, Ganshorn, and Danilkewich (2001) assert that miracle questions facilitate in the development of goals in therapy since solution-focused therapy is a goal-oriented therapy. Hence, the intervention of applying miracle questions during therapy is critical in effecting changes among clients. Providing homework tasks is an intervention, which ensures that clients continue with the p rocess of resolving their problems despite the fact that they are away from therapists. Since different clients have different abilities of coping with problems that influence their lives, some clients are too weak to cope well during the process of therapy. In this view, homework tasks are necessary so that they can remain active throughout the process of therapy. Homework tasks enhance coping process as they engage clients in focusing on present and future aspects of their problems rather than the past, which is the major objective of solution focused therapy. Greenberg, Ganshorn, and Danilkewich (2001) advise therapists to provide homework tasks to clients who have a clear focus on what they expect from therapy, but not those who have no clear focus. Such classification of clients enables therapists to assess the needs of clients and provide a customized therapy. Externalization of the problems among clients is another intervention, which is essential in reducing stigmatization a nd victimization of clients. The stigma that clients have during the process of therapy has considerable impact in reducing the effectiveness of therapy. Although therapy may be effective, stigmatization, and victimization, which occurs during therapy negates the progress that therapists make. Hence, for therapies to be effective in resolving problems that clients face, therapists should apply interventions that seek to externalize the problems from individuals and families. According to Shapiro and Ross (2002), externalization reduces self-blame and stigma that patients face in society. Therefore, externalization is a critical intervention in reducing the stigma associated with problems that clients face, particularly in the family set up. Utilization of family therapies is another intervention that is essential in creating a friendly environment. The nature of social and physical environment where therapy occurs determines the success of a given therapy. Other therapies such as ps ychoanalysis and art therapy have some setbacks because clients do not feel free when interacting with therapists. Hence, the application of therapies that consider needs of family members creates rapport, which promotes interactions between clients and therapists, thus enhancing the effectiveness of the therapy. Fuller (2004) argues that a therapy that meets the unique needs of clients â€Å"is not merely centre-based therapy displaced into patients’ homes, but rather requires the therapists to integrate different rules of conduct and, at times, different forms of intervention† (p.179). The integration of interventions that provide for the needs of clients creates a friendly social environment where clients can share their problems freely without any reservations that are usually associated with the process of therapy. Restructuring family set up to enhance organization and functionality of families is an intervention that is applicable in families. Problems that occu r in families or among family members originate from structural and functional aspects of a family. This aspect means that therapists should restructure families with the aim of enhancing their functions and relieving conflicts. Fundamentally, structural family therapy seeks to bring changes in family by modifying the family structure. Nichols and Schwartz (2004) insist, â€Å"The therapist produces a change by joining the family, probing for areas of flexibility, and then activating dormant structural alternatives† (p.187). Hence, restructuring of families to enhance efficiency of its functions is critical in resolution of problems that clients face. Person of Therapist As a therapist, I believe that therapy enables clients to overcome problems that they face in the family or society. Hence, I perceive that a therapist has a role of helping clients to overcome their problems because they already have solutions to their problems. Evidently, since solution-focused therapy is a proven effective tool in resolution of problems in families, the intervention of optimizing solutions is imperative. According to the assumption of solution-focused therapy, I concur that clients are experts in resolution of problems that affect them because they are in contact with the problems. In this view, my role as a therapist is to optimize solutions that clients have concerning the problems that affect them. Additionally, I also support the assumption of solution-focused therapy that clients have inherent resources, coping skills, and strengths, which are important in resolution of problems. Therefore, I should take advantage of resources, coping skills, and strengths that patients have when delivering therapy. Given that the nature of therapy and environment under which therapy occurs determine the effectiveness of therapy in resolution of problems, I hold that customization of therapies according to the needs of customers is critical. Therapies that consider unique needs of clients are effective because clients can freely interact with therapists due to friendliness of the environment. Unfriendly atmosphere usually makes clients to become unresponsive to therapy. Fundamentally, therapies that are sensitive to the needs of clients provide means of creating good relationships with clients so that they can respond to therapy in a positive manner, hence promoting efficiency of the therapy. The application of family interventions in therapy has been effective in enhancing the outcome of a therapy. Ample evidence shows that clients are more responsive to family interventions than interventions that are applicable out of family set up due to friendliness of the therapy process. Hence, as a therapist, I think that the incorporation of family interventions has a significant role in enhancing therapy outcomes. Additionally, I think that families have significant influence in determining the therapy progress and outcome. I support the principle of structural f amily therapy that organization and functionality of a family determines the resolution of problems. In essence, well-organized families experience fewer conflicts and have high coping abilities. In contrast, poorly organized families experience a great deal of problems as disorganization complicates resolution of conflicts. Moreover, the manner in which families function predicts their susceptibility to problems. I perceive that families that do not function efficiently are prone to problems as compared to families that function well. On this basis, I think that my responsibility as a therapist is to restructure families well with the view of enhancing their functions. How families function is dependent on their structure, hence, an appropriate target for therapists. Since stigma associated with the problem has negative impacts on the process of therapy, I believe that externalization of problems provides means of reducing impacts of stigma. Problems differ in families and society, and thus they have different levels of stigma. In this view, a therapist should assess fears and reservations that clients have with a view of ascertaining the levels of stigma. Effective externalization of the problems will enhance coping skills of clients, as they will not be struggling with negative feelings, but having optimism in resolution of their problems. Thus, I think that externalization is central in enhancing the effectiveness of a therapy. Conclusion In theories of change, family and society play significant roles in determining the impact of therapy on clients. Since families comprise inherent systems in society, problems that people face emanate from family relationships or social environments in society. In this paper, I have noted that theories of change such as solution-focused therapy, narrative therapy, and structural family therapy are proven effective tools in resolution of problems that clients face within the context of family and society. Moreover, I have realized that different assumptions and principles concur that clients and their families have inherent strengths, expertise, resources, and abilities that are paramount on tackling problems. In this view, I seek to apply principles and assumptions associated with these theories of change in guiding clients through the process of therapy, thus enabling them to resolve their problems. References Anderson, A. (2005). An introduction to the theory of change. The Evaluation Exchange,  11(2), 12-13. Fuller, A. (2004). Crisis: Home-based family therapy. Australian New Zealand Journal of Family Therapy, 25(4), 177-182. Greenberg, G., Ganshorn, K., Danilkewich, A. (2001). Solution-focused therapy: Counseling model for busy family physicians. Canadian Family Physician, 47, 2289-2295. Nichols, M., Schwartz, R. (2004). The essentials of family therapy. New York, NY: Allyn Bacon. Shapiro, J., Ross, V. (2002). Applications of narrative theory and therapy to the practice of family medicine . Family Medicine, 34(2): 96-100. This essay on Theory of Change was written and submitted by user Marcus Valentine to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.

Argumentative Essay Sample on Video Games Effects on People

Argumentative Essay Sample on Video Games Effects on People Imagine your daughter in a dark, tight-spaced, labyrinth, so narrow that there is barely enough room to strafe left or right by one foot; with her broken radio in one hand and her assault rifle in the other. She’s cut off from all communication, and since she has found no other crewmate alive in this alien labyrinth, they could all possibly be dead. As she navigates through endless passages, she hears a hoarse growl. She turns right on a blind corner, not knowing what lies ahead. Little does she know that a massive behemoth of a creature awaits the next turn, waiting to quickly catch her defenseless and rip her apart before devouring her. She sees the monster right in front of her, swinging its arm towards her as the first act of instinct. Alarmed, she raises her rifle and drills the monster full of bullets. The creature falls smoking down at her feet, and she lets out a cocky grin as 500 points are added to her score on the top of the television screen. Before running off to kill another alien creature, she pressed the pause button and walks to the kitchen for a quick snack. This is video gaming. Controversy continues to escalate on games such as one described above between parents and gamers, regarding the psychological effect of simulated, realistic, 3D violence on the minds of young children and growing teenagers. Yet recent research shows that videogames contribute very little to today’s everyday violence, despite complaints and concerns that games influence a child’s normal behavior. Technology is a way of life in today’s world, computers are used by toddlers, adolescents, and adults alike; no matter what career path a person chooses, the computer plays an essential role in the job. The more our technology progresses and as our industry grows stronger, computers and electronic entertainment will grow to be found everywhere around the world. And this includes videogames. Although gaming became popular in the 1980s, it has been alive since the 1970s. In May of 1972, Magnavox Odyssey was released as the first gaming console. A few built-in games came with it, and the graphics were as simple as white blocks over a black background. At this point, game violence wasn’t even an issue since the graphics were just simple, moving patterns on a screen. Magnavox Odyssey did not sell well despite being a public release gaming console. This may have been a result of the sales practice; the gaming console was only available in Magnavox stores, where crooked salespeople assured customers that it would only be compatible with Magnavox televisions (â€Å"Console launches† 68). In October 1977, the Atari Video Computer System was released, along with it the classic game â€Å"Pong†, giving the system a place in the history books. However, the turning point in gaming came with the release of the 8-bit Nintendo Entertainment System (Adorably called NES), in fall 1985. Although Nintendo marketed the system as a toy, the technological aspect of it sparked interest in people of all ages, especially when it was released in the United States. The market was opened to daring game developers who made games that marked the birth of interactive media that we know today. But perhaps too daring though. Macintosh developed and released Mac Playmate on PC in 1987 (and another version in 1995); stimulating an animated woman with sex toys after undressing her was the object of the game, and the orgasm was the goal. Another highly controversial issue was an underground game set in World War II, but what sets this game apart from other World War II titled is the goal of the game and the core gameplay itself. Set in Europe, the player takes charge of a Nazi concentration camp; rewards varied depending on how many and how brutal were the deaths of Jews. Enraged parents raised protest when Mortal Kombat was released in 1991, which gave the player choices on how to â€Å"finish off† their opponent, sporting the most graphic (and not to mention bloody, VERY bloody) â€Å"fatalities† ever seen in any videogame of its time (Choi 2). Since then, games like Grand Theft Auto and Resident Evil became targets for anti-violence protestors a reason to push for or even completely ban violent videogames. The Columbine shooting incident in Colorado have given angry parents an obvious reason to try and strangle the video gaming industry. According to the media, the game Doom presumably help the young murderers, Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold, learn shooting tactics. However, of all the bullets (approximately 300 bullets in the library alone) that were shot in Columbine High School, 13 were killed out of a possible 1,800 students (Alastor 2). This connotes that the game may NOT have help them out at all. In fact, weapons on the television screen do not work at all as they do in real life; controllers aren’t as heavy as real guns, there is no recoil from a blast, it usually takes several shots to the torso for a normal enemy to go down, and many other major errors (Wynar 5). A videogame is strictly made up of polygons and pixels, and there are no available controllers to even remotely simulate the feel of a real gun. Many gamers believe that videogame violence holds little to no influence in children. Television, movies, and books are more widespread, less expensive; and less censored than videogames yet still containts the same themes. Themes of aliens invading earth, villains seeking to conquer or destroy the world, and normal people becoming superheroes are so common in children’s movies nowadays that movies which are more graphic than videogames threaten a child’s psychological development. But they are  merely tagged as â€Å"just kids’ movies.† Because of this, nobody ever looks at the hero. The movie hero could just be as much of a criminal as the villain. For example: In order to save one innocent civilian that happens to be the hero’s live interest, the hero has to kill every bad guy in his way to save the woman. These themes are worse in more mature movies. A lot of â€Å"heroes† kill the â€Å"underlings† of the villains or anyone oppo sing him; in â€Å"real life† the prosecuted and imprisoned for the illegal abuses of the firearms and authority (Wynar 4). What kind of hero is that? No one can say that television has not influenced society. Novice shooters in firearms classes start out by imitating the incorrect techniques they see on television, martial arts schools boomed after Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, and sales of S6W .44 magnums skyrocketed after the release of Dirty Harry (Wynar 4). Studies show that many frequent game players also engage in more violent sports and watch high amounts of television every week (Ask 2). And yet, the blaming finger still points to videogames as being the core risk for negative behavior changes in children. When anti-gamers accused the games industries of producing more mature games than fun and educational ones, game enthusiasts pointed out the fact that 42% of gamers are over age 18 (Choi 2). In 1997, 43% of games reviewed by the ESRB were rated inappropriate for the under 13 age group. Many gamers believe that the people arguing against them are merely ignorant of many of the studies and facts presented by researchers that favor the neutral or positive effects of games on children. An independent study conducted by Alexander Ask showed that high-frequency players playing a violent yet easy game became less angry and calmer, while low-frequency players were on the flipside; also, more frequent gamers experienced and expressed more anger, but felt they could control it better. A different study by the American Psychological Association (APA) sampled twenty-five boys and girls between the ages of eight and twelve. The children were asked questions about violent behavior or empathy, and then were given one of two games to play (violent, non-violent) for fifteen minutes. Afterward, researchers gave their subjects a set of hypothetical situations designed to trigger either a compassionate or an aggressive response. No connection between gameplay and the responses to the situations was discovered (McDowell 2). Yet the demand to ban still ran strong among anti-violence supporters. After viewing several violent videogames, including Mortal Kombat and Night Trap, Senator Joseph Lieberman (CT) created the ESRB, Entertainment Software Ratings Board (McDowell 1). The ESRB is an organization in which representatives from all of the major software companies rate every video or computer game before it goes out on the market. Ratings vary: E for everyone, T for teen 13+, M for mature 17+, AO for adults only, and others. Other ratings companies followed, such as the Amusement Machine Operators Association (AMOA), which puts warning/rating stickers on arcade machines (Choi 2). The effort to protect children from violent games stretched across the world. In Australia, the State Attorney General declared that all videogames would go through a screening test. Violent games would be restricted to adults and excessively violent games would be banned all together (Ask 1). So why hasn’t the violence stopped? With the ESRB and other organizations striving to protect children from the gore and guns of games, and the results of numerous studies showing that there is no connection between games and violence by kids, you’d think that the shootings and violent play would stop. However, aggression research suggests that poor parenting is the cause of much of the erratic behavior by children. The limiting of playtime and the supervision of the types of games that are played are just as important as monitoring the television programs and movies that children watch. Despite the common belief, there are benefits of gaming. An important plus to gaming is being able to vent anger non-aggressively. What could be better than blowing away that non-existent monster after a long day of school/work or other stress? If this method of venting were taken away, hyper-aggressive people would be forced to find some other way to purge their anger and frustration. This could lead to real people being hurt. Another advantage to gaming is that it opens up a social opportunity for kids; a certain game might cause some common interest between children and create more friendships and interactivity. People also seem to forget that educational games do exist, and can teach kids things that do not involve guns and killing. Games that are helpful, educational, and fun would be more popular if more people tried to encourage the acceptance, popularity, and availability of them (â€Å"Violence† 3). Controversy is not anything new to society; there were arguments about television and rock and roll. Now videogames joins the pack. With the industry booming and the ESRB running full force to warn of mature games, it is doubtful that videogames will lose their place in the electronics empire and our everyday lives. So next time your son is gleefully gunning down monsters in dark tool sheds with his Playstation controller, just remember that if anyone objects, proof of protection is on the package of the game on the ESRB tag. It is the parent who chooses to be aware of and follow it, and lay down the law to their kids’ gaming and other media habits that might spark the violence and arguments in the lives of both gamers and non-gamers. You can also order a custom term paper, research paper, thesis, dissertation or essay on video games from our professional custom essay writing company which provides students with high-quality custom written papers at an affordable cost.